Five Times Jim Stood Up For His Crew
by Protector of Canon2
Summary: and the one time they returned the favor.
1. McCoy

So; another five-and-one, though this time the individual parts are long enough to get their own chapters. The title is pretty self explanatory.

These will be in roughly chronological order; this takes place sometime during Jim and the others' first year at the Academy.

Oh, and I don't own the characters.

* * *

For a long time after Leonard McCoy's divorce, he was reluctant to attend any sort of party at the Academy because he didn't want to deal with the potential romantic issues.

Jim, of course, decided early on that it was his responsibility to make sure that his best friend didn't spend all day, every day, studying.

So what if Bones was a decade older than any of the other cadets? So what if he had already been through college and medical school? You were supposed to party at the Academy, and Jim was _not_ about to allow Bones to miss out on that.

It took some time, but Jim was stubborn. Eventually, he managed to get his friend into a bar.

* * *

Half an hour after Jim dragged him—almost literally—to the bar, Leonard found that he was enjoying himself almost against his will. It was nice to be able to get out and relax; to not think about tests, papers, or anything except having a good time.

He had been worried about how he would react if approached by any of the women—or the men, for that matter, though that would be somewhat easier, as he could just tell them he was straight—but so far, it hadn't been an issue. Jim was loud enough, outgoing enough, and good-looking enough that anyone who might have been interested in Leonard quickly became distracted.

But, of course, he had spoken too soon—dammit, he was way too good at jinxing himself—because as Jim rose to get another round, a rather attractive young lady, whom Leonard was fairly certain he had seen on campus, caught his eye and smiled.

Leonard swore under his breath.

Though he had been told—more than once—that he could be rather abrasive, he was at heart a Southern gentleman and would not upset any woman if it could be avoided.

But he couldn't deal with this one diplomatically, not now. And he _certainly_ was not prepared to give her what she wanted. His mind was still racing as she sauntered over to where he was sitting and pulled up a chair. How to get rid of her….?

And then Jim was there.

It only took Jim a moment to understand what was happening, but once he did, his reaction was… strange.

He smirked, wolf-whistled, and slid into his chair.

"Well _done_, Bonesy," he said, "well done indeed. She's a pretty good one—not nearly as good as what I could get, but considering how out of practice you are… Damn, Bones, you've still got it!"

He leered at the girl, and Leonard saw that his entire body language was different; predatory; almost… the best word he could come up with was "creepy."

"I'd say she's at least a six, maybe even a seven," he continued. "We'll have you up to eights and nines soon enough, but _this_ is a damn good start."

The girl stood up, offended, and swept back over to where her friends were waiting. Immediately they began to mutter together, occasionally glancing over at Jim and Leonard, expressions of disgust on their faces.

Jim's posture immediately relaxed back to normal, and he grinned at his friend. "Oh well," he said, "there goes that one."

"I guess the patented Jim Kirk charm doesn't always work, does it?" Leonard said dryly.

Jim shrugged. "It does when they're worth it. Trust me; she'd have been really needy. Insecure, too, probably."

Leonard snorted, but quickly became serious. "You know you'll never have a chance with any of those girls again, right?"

"There are other girls," Jim said calmly. "Tonight's about me and you."

"Thank you," Leonard said quietly.

Jim grinned. "For what?" he asked. "Drink up."

* * *

So, I liked this idea once I came up with it. (Obviously, or I wouldn't have posted it.) What do you think?


	2. Scotty

I actually don't think I like this one as well as the first, but oh well.

* * *

Some men's anger is like a match: It flares up quickly and brightly, but then it goes out. If someone upsets them, the punishment is swift and harsh, but they soon forget the incident completely.

Unfortunately for Scotty, Admiral Archer was not such a man.

He was not upset with Kirk for taking Scotty off of Delta Vega. After all, the _Enterprise_'s original Chief Engineer had died at Vulcan, and besides, the Admiralty had already determined that the entire situation was desperate enough that the ends justified the means, so they praised him for saving the planet without examining his tactics too closely. It didn't hurt that, as much as the legality of many of Kirk's actions was questionable at best, the brilliance was not.

But that didn't mean Archer was ready to forgive Scotty; he had really cared about that dog.

So Scotty had resigned himself to the fact that even if he wasn't sent back to Delta Vega, he would remain grounded. Yes, he knew Kirk wanted him on the _Enterprise_, but the other man was very lucky that the Admiralty had been willing not only to overlook some of his more questionable actions but also to completely forgive the academic suspension without even completing the hearing.

Thus, while Kirk probably would have helped him ordinarily, the Captain had to worry about himself, meaning that Scotty would not be returning to the _Enterprise_.

And that's probably what would have happened, had the Captain in question been anyone except James T. Kirk.

But it was due to Scotty's work on the transport that Kirk, Spock, and Pike had escaped the destruction of Nero's ship, and it was purely Scotty's quick thinking that had allowed the _Enterprise_ to escape the black hole.

Besides, Jim Kirk didn't believe in leaving people behind, so he arranged a meeting with Admiral Archer.

* * *

"Captain Kirk," Archer greeted. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah," Jim said bluntly. "Scotty."

"Excuse me?"

"Montgomery Scott. I want him to be my Chief Engineer."

"Kirk…"

"Sir," Kirk said, "I understand that you're upset with him. You have every right to be. But Scotty's one of the best engineers in Starfleet; if you ground his because of a personal slight, the entire fleet will suffer. We need him. _I _need him; and I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to get him."

Archer considered him briefly. "Very well," he said finally. "I suppose we do need to make the most of our resources, especially now. But I warn you, Kirk, I'll be watching you carefully, and if Scott doesn't live up to your predictions, he will _not_ remain on your ship."

Kirk grinned. "Thank you, sir," he said. "You won't be disappointed."


	3. Chekov

This was actually the first of these that I wrote, and it basically inspired the rest. Enjoy!

* * *

When Starfleet decided to make James T. Kirk Captain of the _Enterprise_, many experienced officers were understandably upset.

It was completely irrational, they felt, for a third-year cadet on academic probation with a criminal record to suddenly become a Captain. Yes, he had saved the Earth, but that was largely due to luck and, considering his methods for gaining command, he should have been expelled, possibly even arrested. Not rewarded.

The final blow to these men, women, and non-humans who had struggled for so many years to earn their positions and were then forced to watch a 25-year-old be catapulted up through the ranks because he had been in the right place at the right time was that, out of all the ships in Starfleet, he had been given the flagship, the ultimate posting for any Captain.

It thus followed logically that Kirk had to deal with many, many people who didn't believe he deserved to be Captain of the _Enterprise_, but they were rarely foolish enough to say so to his face and, when they were, he never had to deal with them for very long.

Then the _Enterprise _was assigned to carry Captain Williams to his new position on Starbase 3.

Williams had been the Captain of the _Farragut_; the only reason he had survived the massacre at Vulcan was that when the fleet was sent out, he had been too ill to join his crew. When it had been determined that Pike would not be able to return to space, most had assumed that Williams would be given command of the _Enterprise_. After all, she was a ship without a Captain, and he a Captain without a ship. It seemed almost like fate.

But the _Enterprise_ had gone to James T. Kirk, and Williams had been shunted from job to job as Starfleet tried to find him a place.

Perhaps that explained his actions while aboard the _Enterprise_, though the crew had quickly agreed that nothing could excuse them.

* * *

The crew was sick of Captain Williams, to the point that some had started betting about who would be the first to snap and do something that would be immensely satisfying, but would get them in a great deal of trouble.

For the past two weeks, he had been rude and confrontational. He had mocked the Captain and questioned his decisions. He had implied heavily and even stated explicitly—more than once—that Kirk was too young, too immature, too inexperienced, too insubordinate, too stupid to be Captain of a Starship.

And the Captain had neither protested nor stood up for himself even once.

It was obvious that the crew wanted to say something, but how could they when their Captain did not? After all, unpleasant as he was, Williams _was_ their superior officer.

So they followed their Captain's lead and seethed silently at the abuse he was suffering, but never allowed Williams to see that his remarks had any actual impact.

But one day, Williams suddenly changed his target.

No one was entirely sure why: Perhaps he'd been frustrated by Kirk's lack of response; perhaps he'd been encouraged by it. Either way, he turned his attention from the Captain of the _Enterprise_ to her crew.

"Captain," Spock called.

Williams had been spending a great deal of time on the bridge, watching Kirk work and looking for mistakes. The bridge crew had been largely ignoring his presence, though anyone familiar with the way the bridge normally functioned would notice subtle differences. Spock, for example, had been using his commanding officer's title more than he usually did, and more than was strictly necessary.

"Yes, Mr. Spock?" Kirk replied, in a tone that was just a touch more professional than the one he normally used.

"Our sensors have detected anomalous conditions on the planet ahead, Captain. It would likely be beneficial to study it further."

"But…?" Kirk prodded.

"Unfortunately, Captain, the distance between the planet and its sun is extremely low. This is most likely the cause of the anomalies detected; however, it also causes considerable difficulty when attempting to approach the planet without exposing the ship to dangerous levels of radiation. Not impossible, Captain, but it will require precision."

Kirk nodded. "Mr. Chekov," he said, "did you get that?"

"Yes, Keptin."

"Go ahead and plot the course."

"You can't be serious, Kirk!" Williams burst out. "If those calculations are even a few degrees off, it could kill us all! Why the hell isn't the Vulcan plotting this course?"

Several people on the bridge stiffened—Kirk included, but all he said out loud was, "Ensign Chekov is my navigator."

"Ensign Chekov is barely old enough to study at the Academy, let alone be the navigator on a Starship," Williams exclaimed. "I know officers who have been working as helmsmen since before _you_ were born who would have a hard time plotting that course. There's no way an 18-year-old can do it."

Something in Kirk changed. Suddenly he sat up straighter, his eyes became harder, and his voice became stronger.

"Do not tell my crew what they can and cannot do," he said quietly. "Our youth is a strength; there are plenty of things that we can—and have—done that no one else could because we haven't spent so much time learning about what's impossible. Yes, we're inexperienced, we _know_ that. But these men and women are among the best in Starfleet, and I will not allow you stand there and tell them otherwise.

"Chekov, plot the course."

"Yes, Keptin," Chekov replied, barely concealing his grin.

Williams bristled. "I will not be talked to that way, Kirk."

"_Captain_ Kirk," he insisted. "If you don't start treating the crew of this ship with the respect they deserve, I will not hesitate to have you thrown into the brig."

"You—but—I'm a Starfleet Captain!" Williams sputtered.

"So am I," Kirk replied coldly. "Starfleet seems to have a higher opinion of my abilities that you do. More importantly, I'm the captain of _this_ ship. You are a guest on my ship. Don't forget it again."

Williams seemed almost paralyzed for several seconds before regaining his composure. "Very well, Captain," he said finally, "you've made your point." He left the bridge with as much dignity as he could muster up and, to the great relief of the crew, he was silent for the rest of the trip.


	4. Spock and Uhura

This chapter focuses on the consequences of that little romance between Spock and Uhura.

Because, seriously, he was her teacher. There's no way there aren't rules against that.

* * *

No one was entirely sure how the admiralty found out about the relationship between Spock and Uhura. Conscious of the rules against staff/student relationships, the two had been extremely discrete during Uhura's time at the Academy.

The really ironic part was that by the time the admiralty did find out, the relationship was over. Still, they felt that they had to respond in some way.

The other thing no one quite understood was how Kirk had managed to find out the Admirals' plans even before they had decided how to punish the two.

But he did, and he immediately contacted the admiralty.

* * *

"Kirk," Pike greeted, "what can I do for you?"

"I hear you want to take disciplinary action against my Communications Officer and my XO," Kirk said, wasting no time.

Pike sighed. "Do I want to know how you find these things out?" he asked.

"Probably not," Kirk admitted readily. "The disciplinary action?"

"Kirk," Archer said, "if you're calling us, then you must know what it's about."

"Tell me anyway," Kirk challenged.

"Very well," Nogaru replied. "We have uncovered evidence of Commander Spock and Lt. Uhura's illicit relationship."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "'Illicit relationship'?" He repeated. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh? Completely aside from the fact that the two haven't been romantically involved in over two months, regulations clearly state that two officers serving on the same starship are perfectly permitted to engage in a romantic or sexual relationship, provided that it does not interfere with the workings of the ship. And I can assure you, there were no problems caused by the relationship, either while it was occurring or after it ended."

Nogaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Please don't quote regulations at us, Kirk," he said. "You know as well as we do that when the relationship began, Lt. Uhura was still a student. Spock's student, to be precise."

"So?" Kirk pressed. "They're no longer at the Academy, and they're no longer together. Why disrupt the workings of my ship over something that is no longer an issue?"

"But it is!" Nogaru insisted. "The rules against relationships between students and teachers exist for a reason!"

"Admiral," Kirk pointed out, "this is Spock we're talking about. Do you really think he'd give one of his students a grade she didn't deserve, regardless of their relationship?

"Besides, Uhura has proven again and again just how capable she is. She succeeded at the academy because of her own merits, not her relationship with Spock."

"That's not the point!" Nogaru declared.

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He asked. "Because I'm pretty sure you just said that it was."

"It's the principle of the matter," Nogaru insisted. "We can't allow it to become know that we overlooked this. Our hands are tied here, Kirk, we _have_ to do something."

Kirk watched the admirals speculatively for a few moments, then, "Okay," he said, "what's _really_ going on?"

"I told you he'd figure it out," Pike said, amused. Kirk continued to watch him expectantly, and he sighed. "It's politics, Jim," he admitted.

"Politics," Kirk repeated.

"Yes, Captain," said Admiral Anderson, the head of PR, "Politics.

"I'm sure you've heard the mutterings ever since you became Captain; there seem to be a fair number of people convinced that you don't deserve the _Enterprise _and, given your reputation, they apparently suspect that you only received your postingbecause you, well—"

"—Slept my way to the top?" Kirk finished wryly. "I've heard them. From what I've noticed, they mostly come from people who were jealous when I made Captain and are frustrated that I haven't lost my stripes by screwing up every mission I've had."

"Yes, well, be that as it may," Anderson said, slightly flustered, "if word of this gets out, those rumors won't just be about you, they'll be about your entire crew. We can't allow that to happen."

"And you think that punishing Spock and Uhura will end the rumors," Kirk summarized.

"Well, yes," Anderson confirmed, "We'll show the rest of Starfleet that your crew isn't receiving any sort of preferential treatment."

Kirk laughed slightly. "'Preferential treatment,'" he muttered. "Look, Admiral, I understand what you're trying to do, but it won't work. Most people don't really care whether Spock and Uhura were sleeping together at the Academy; all they care about is that we _saved the Earth_. As for the people you're afraid of; they don't really care either. They're just looking for another excuse to say that the _Enterprise_ crewmembers don't deserve our postings, and if it's not that, they'll just go after something else.

"Besides, if this issue arose on any other Starship, would you really step in yourselves? Or would you leave the punishment of the officers in question up to their Captain's discretion?"

"We would, of course, leave it up to the Captain's discretion," Anderson said, slightly uncomfortable, "but this isn't any other ship, and people may not believe that you would discipline your officers for something like this."

"But if you undermine my authority like this," Kirk insisted, "you'll only be legitimizing those arguments. If you want to send the message that the _Enterprise_ is just like any other ship, than treat us like any other ship. You wouldn't have made me Captain if you didn't think that I was capable. Let me prove that I am. Let me take care of this."

Nogaru raised an eyebrow. "You're very good at debate, Captain."

Kirk shrugged. "I try," he said.

"Very well," Nogaru conceded, "we'll leave it up to you. But Kirk?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Give us something to work with?"

Kirk grinned. "Yes, sir. And you don't need to worry. I can be very creative with my punishments."

Pike raised an eyebrow. "I can imagine," he said. "I take it this is something else I don't want to know about?"

Kirk shrugged. "Probably not," he admitted, "but don't worry; I'm not doing anything illegal." He paused for a moment, considering it. "Well, not technically."

Pike laughed. "Go run your ship, Jim."

"Yes, sir!" Kirk said, and he signed off.

* * *

And _that's_ what it looks like when Jim really gets a chance to debate.

Don't forget to review!


	5. Sulu

So, I was checking up on my story stats, and I found that this fic so far has over 4000 hits, including more than 600 people who have read until the end. It has been favorited 21 times. It is on 55 people's alert list. And it has received… 23 reviews. Which includes several people who have review multiple times (you guys can skip this.)

Come on, people, really?

Look, I get it. Writing reviews isn't easy; it's hard to come up with something worth saying, and you don't want to feel like you wrote a bad review.

But reviews are the closest thing I get to payment. If I'm writing these stories, can't you give me a review?

Especially those of you who are adding me to your favorite or alert lists. You must have done that for a reason; can't you at least tell me what it was?

And I promise, if you review, I _will _reply.

Okay, I'm done now. Here's what you all came for.

* * *

It was supposed to be an easy away mission.

A few months later, that would have tipped them off that things were about to become extremely complicated, but at that point they were still rather naïve so, when they heard the words "easy away mission," they thought it really would be easy.

It was not a first contact. There were no Prime Directive issues. The locals had all-but joined the Federation already; the entire mission was really just a formality.

They definitely should have expected some sort of disaster.

* * *

The natives looked almost exactly like humans, except with less natural variety. All were naturally pale-skinned with equally pale hair and eyes. But coloring the hair, skin and eyes was one of the major forms of self-expression—the planet had little variety of temperature, and the locals had thus never developed clothing—so almost every color and shade conceivable could be seen.

Perhaps this was why they were so accepting of the variety found in Starfleet—not just in ethnicity, but in species as well. They were even willing to tolerate clothing, though they didn't really understand it, which was good, as requiring all Starfleet officials who beamed down to the planet to do so in the nude would have resulted in…complications, to say the least.

Regardless, the level of acceptance that the natives had displayed was yet another reason that no one was anticipating any difficulties when an away team consisting of Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and Sulu beamed down to the planet's surface. Though Sulu would not normally have been part of a diplomatic mission, the natives had wanted to meet a Starfleet pilot.

But as soon as Sulu was introduced, it became obvious that something was wrong. The natives immediately became tense and skittish, and some looked decidedly hostile, and the Chancellor frowned and indicated that he wished to speak with the Captain privately.

"Chancellor," Kirk asked once they were alone, "is something wrong?"

"Your crewmember with the misshapen eyes…?"

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "'Misshapen?'" he asked. "…You mean Sulu? He's my pilot; you _asked_ to see him."

"We did not anticipate… this."

"Chancellor, I don't understand why this is a problem; it's just another example of the variety found in the Federation. You've never had an issue like this before."

The Chancellor sighed. "Captain, you must understand, our legends speak of beings with eyes like his, but not in a favorable light. They are known as _Shadim_."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The closest translation in your language would be 'demon,'" the Chancellor explained.

"So, you think Sulu is some sort of demon because he's _Asian_?" Kirk attempted to clarify.

"This time," the Chancellor said, "I must request that you clarify your terms."

"Beings whose ancestors lived on different parts of our planet have different natural physical features," Kirk explained quickly. "Chancellor, Sulu isn't evil."

The Chancellor frowned. "I do not believe that he is, Captain," she said, "but there are many on my planet who will be reluctant to make a treaty with one whom they believe to be a _Shade_."

"Fine," Kirk said, "whatever. If I send Sulu back to the ship, will that help?"

The Chancellor considered it. "Perhaps," she said finally, "but I doubt it will be sufficient. We must dispel any rumors that your Federation is in league with the _Shadim_."

"By proving that Sulu isn't one of these… _Shadim_?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Okay," Kirk said, "how do we do that?"

"There are several possibilities," the Chancellor explained, "and in each case the danger is slight."

"Hang on, they're dangerous?"

"Not overly so—"

"You know what, no. This is ridiculous. My pilot doesn't have to prove anything."

"But Captain, this could jeopardize the treaty—"

"I don't care," Kirk said bluntly. "If your planet can't get over your prejudices, than maybe you don't belong in the Federation. Now, should I take my crew and leave, or are we going to sign this treaty?"

The Chancellor pursed her lips. "I will need to speak with my council, Captain. We will tell you our answer by midday."

"Fine," Kirk told her. "We'll be waiting."

* * *

Wow, that one got kind of… weird. Oh well.

One more quick note: These are just one-shots, and I won't be expanding them; telling the "full story," if you will. But if someone else wants to, that's great. Just ask first.


	6. Kirk

This was inspired by parts of KCS's amazing collection of oneshots, _A Star to Steer Her By._

* * *

When Kirk first made Captain, the decision was nearly unanimous. Even those Admirals who didn't feel that a third-year cadet was ready to become Captain of a starship did recognize the position that Starfleet was in.

Having just lost one of the two founding planets of the Federation as well as nearly five-sixths of the graduating class at the academy, Starfleet was desperately in need of good PR and Kirk—the hero who saved the Earth and probably several other planets as well, avenging his father, the hero of the _Kelvin_, in the process, who just happened to be ridiculously good-looking and sociable—was nothing if not good PR.

And the decision to give him that crew? Well, not many experienced officers would be willing to serve under a twenty-seven-year-old fresh-out-of-the-academy Captain, they had all requested to serve with Kirk, and Kirk had requested to serve with as many of them as possible, so it was something of a no-brainer.

But many of the Admirals came to regret the decision very quickly.

Because while the crew was good—and oh boy were they good; despite the fact that they encountered more unexpected danger and insanity than any other Starship in the fleet, they still had one of the highest success rates, and most of the officers had proven to be among the best at what they did, despite the fact that few of them were thirty yet—Jim Kirk was insane. He also wasn't very good at following orders.

Not that he would flaunt the rules for no reason, but his idea of a good reason didn't always jive with his superiors'. When he felt that an order he had received was not a good one he would attempt once to convince the superior officer and then, generally, do whatever he wanted, regardless of his orders.

The worst part was that he was usually right. It was difficult to reprimand him for not following orders when his actions saved lives, prevented wars, or convinced yet another planet to join the Federation.

But that didn't mean no one wanted to. With each successful mission, certain admirals grew angrier and angrier; more and more impatient; waiting for Kirk to finally screw up.

The mission on which it happened was supposed to be routine which, on the _Enterprise_, meant that it was certain to go wrong. And when it did, it went very wrong. People died; a lot of them, including several members of Kirk's crew. And Kirk hadn't followed orders which meant that, as far as a few admirals were concerned, it was exactly the opportunity they needed.

* * *

The bridge of the _Enterprise _was far more subdued than usual when Admiral Komak called.

None of the officers were talking, laughing or joking with one another. Instead, they were all staring silently at their instruments, doing their work quietly and sadly. Kirk, usually the most boisterous, seemed almost depressed, though he quickly straightened up and plastered on a fake smile when Komak appeared on the viewscreen.

"Admiral," he said with mock cheer, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You should have followed orders, Kirk," Komak said. "The fact that you didn't got people killed."

Kirk's smile slipped off. "Admiral," he answered painfully. "Could we not do this in front of my crew?"

"We'll do this wherever I want to do it," Komak told him. "This isn't just going to go away. People are dead because of you, and you will go down for that."

"I had to make a split-second decision," Kirk attempted to explain. "And maybe I made the wrong decision—"

"You _did _make the wrong decision. You deliberately disobeyed orders, and you won't get away with it anymore."

"Forgive me, Admiral," Spock said suddenly, "but it is not certain that the Captain did make the wrong decision. According to information that was discovered both before and after the Captain made his decision—information that was not available when the Admiralty issued their orders—it is highly probable that following orders would have caused more deaths than actually occurred."

"Did I ask for your opinion, Commander?" Komak snapped at him. "The fact is that your Captain has been ignoring orders for a long time, and it's high time we did something about that."

"Admiral," now it was Sulu's turn to interrupt, "are we to understand that you are now going to punish the Captain for every time he has ever disobeyed orders?"

"If necessary, Lieutenant," Komak said coldly.

"But Admiral," Sulu protested, "if Kirk didn't have a habit of disobeying orders when he felt it was necessary, everybody on this ship would be dead several times over. Are you saying that orders are more important than our lives?"

"I'm saying that your Captain can't just play fast and loose with the rules whenever he feels like it! Kirk, I'm not sure you understand the severity of this. You could lose your ship over this!"

_That _got Kirk's attention. "I could _what_? Admiral, it was one mission!"

"Perhaps this was the first time the consequences were so severe," Komak said, "but it's _not_ the first time you've decided that you're apparently more intelligent then every single one of the Admirals in Starfleet!"

"Now wait just a goddamn minute!" McCoy burst out. "It sounds to me like you're more upset about the orders Jim didn't follow than about the people who died!"

"Doctor, this doesn't concern you! In fact, what are you even doing on the bridge?"

"It damn well does concern me!" McCoy retorted. "I enlisted in Starfleet because I had nowhere else to go, but that simply isn't true anymore. I'm a galactic hero; the only reason I'm still living in space is because someone has to keep Jim alive when he becomes so busy keeping everyone else alive that he forgets to take care of himself. If you take away his commission, I'll resign mine and go work on a hospital on Earth."

"I will, too," Sulu declared. "There's plenty of room for pilots in the private sector, and I don't think I can work for a Starfleet that punishes its officers for saving lives."

"The Vulcan high counsel would certainly not object should I choose to return and assist in the development of the colony," Spock added.

"I hawe been offered many positions at uniwersities," Chekov said.

"I think it's safe to say that if Starfleet decides to make a scapegoat out of the Captain, whoever replaces him won't have much of a command crew left," Uhura summarized coldly.

Komak's eyes narrowed. "Do you understand what you're saying?" he demanded.

"Don't insult us," McCoy retorted. "Everyone on this bridge has a genius level IQ."

"…Very well," Komak said finally, "I suppose you win this time. But don't think there won't be any repercussions. There will be an official reprimand for this."

"Understood, Admiral," Kirk said, and Komak signed off.

Kirk took a deep breath and turned to his crew. "You shouldn't have done that," he said. "What if he had called your bluff?"

"Captain," Spock said, "Vulcans do not bluff."

Kirk smiled to himself. "Thank you," he said quietly, and it was not mentioned again.

* * *

So, I really wanted to include Scotty in this, but I couldn't find a way to get him on the bridge. Let's just agree that if he had been there, he would have been pretty vocal about his support for Kirk.

Well, that's all for this fic.

I'll see you all later!


End file.
